This year’s outstanding nominees have played leading roles throughout their careers in preventive health medicine, surgical advancement, bovine reproduction, clinical field research, production record analysis and milk quality.

“The dedication and contributions of this year’s class of nominees are truly impressive, consistent with the standard of excellence that the hall of fame represents each year,” says Brent Meyer, technical services veterinarian for Merck Animal Health, who coordinates the nomination process. “In addition to practicing veterinary medicine, they’ve managed livestock operations, founded research facilities, served on boards of directors and mentored students.”

Five organizations founded and sponsor the hall of fame – Merck Animal Health, the Academy of Veterinary Consultants (AVC), the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP), Bovine Veterinarian and Osborn Barr.

Voting is currently underway and will remain open until Aug. 7. Members of the AVC and the AABP may vote for one beef and one dairy nominee. AVC members may vote during the organization’s spring and summer conferences, or online at the AVC website. AABP members may vote online at the AABP website.

The fifth annual hall of fame inductees will be honored at this year’s AABP Annual Conference in New Orleans, Sept. 17-19.

Beef nominees

Dallas Horton, DVM, is considered a pioneer in promoting the concept of preventive health medicine and is a vocal advocate for progressive agricultural policies. Horton is the president of Horton Feedlots Inc., a cattle-feeding operation started in 1977 in northern Colorado. He is also a past president of AVC and the Colorado Livestock Association. Horton is active in numerous state and national organizations, and was appointed by the U.S. secretary of agriculture to serve on the U.S. Beef Board.

Ed Johnson, DVM, was a pioneer in the development of intensified rotational grazing systems in the Pacific Northwest. Johnson is actively involved with veterinary student education through a University of Idaho and WSU internship program he helped develop involving veterinary colleges, agribusiness, pharmaceutical companies and his feedyard and research facilities. The goal of the program is to stimulate interest in food animal medicine with veterinary students, where they can get hands-on applied experience in management and research while receiving personal recognition for their achievements.

Gary P. Rupp, DVM, was actively involved in the development and support of the Cow Calf Computerized Herd Health-Management Record System and implemented a certification program for veterinary practitioners, the Beef Cattle Production Management Series, and serves as mentor for the course. He also developed the K-R Spay device, with Dr. Cleon Kimberling, for spaying heifers. Rupp served as the director of the University of Nebraska’s Great Plains Veterinary Educational Center since its inception in 1988 until his retirement in 2010.  

—From Cattle Production Veterinarian Hall of Fame news release